His B'Elanna
by Brigid
Summary: This is a companion piece to "Two B'Elannas," the four people who read it wanted to know what was happening on the real Voyager with the other B'Elanna. This story is for them.


Title: His B'Elanna  
Author: Brigid  
Email: brigidandmike@juno.com  
Rating: [PG]   
Part: 1/1   
Synopsis: This is a companion piece to "Two B'Elannas,"   
the first fanfiction I had ever posted. The four people who   
read it wanted to know what was happening on the real   
Voyager with the other B'Elanna. This story is for them.   
Disclaimer: Paramount owns the characters but I love to play   
with them. Thanks again, BR, I wouldn't have even tried it   
without your encouragement.  
Posting:   
Date: May, 2001  
  
  
His B'Elanna  
  
The crew of Voyager had encountered a small m-class planet.   
Their scans showed no advanced life forms but it was rich   
with a variety of plant life. Lt. Tom Paris was in charge   
of the mission to gather the edible plants and replenish   
Voyager's dwindling supply of fresh food. It had been a   
successful but uneventful mission. In fact the last couple   
of weeks had been uneventful, at least for the rest of the   
crew.   
  
Tom and his wife B'Elanna, Chief Engineer, had just found   
out that they were expecting a baby, their first. They were   
thrilled, but B'Elanna's Klingon/Human physiology was moody   
at best. With the addition of pregnancy her moods had become   
highly unpredictable. This morning's replicator malfunction   
had led to Tom's peanut butter toast being plastered to the   
wall, while last night's choice of music (Brahms - one of   
the doctor's recommendations) had precipitated a night of   
passion. Not the usual reaction to Brahms. Tom had   
considered asking the captain to take B'Elanna off the away   
team but there were ore samples there that Engineering   
needed to analyze and B'Elanna was the best person for the   
job.  
  
The crew had almost filled the cargo hold of Tom's shuttle   
when B'Elanna called him on her communicator.   
  
"Tom, I'm taking the shuttle to investigate the debris   
field we passed by on our way down here. There were some   
signs of trilithium and we could use all that we can get."   
  
B'Elanna was a competent pilot so Tom wasn't worried, but he   
still reacted as a mission commander should. "Okay, who do   
you have with you?"   
  
"No one." B'Elanna was laughing now, "I don't need   
anyone else. All I am going to do is scan the debris and   
collect anything that looks useful. Even a green ensign   
could accomplish that."   
  
"Yes," Tom answered patiently, "but wouldn't it be more   
fun if we did it together? Why don't you wait until I'm   
finished here and I'll go with you."   
  
But B'Elanna was already in the shuttle and on her way.   
"Sorry, Flyboy, you have to finish with the vegetable   
brigade. Stop worrying so much, I'll see you in the shuttle   
bay in an hour." Vegetable brigade, she'll pay for that   
later, Tom mused as he watched his wife fly off. A brief   
frown crossed his handsome features but he shook it off.   
She'll be fine.   
  
Tom and Neelix returned to Voyager after the "fruitful"   
away mission. The Delta Flyer was loaded down with fresh   
food, all of which Neelix had assured him was edible. Tom   
was doubtful about some of it but with Neelix you just had   
to hope for the best sometimes. They were busy unloading in   
the cargo bay when Tom realized that the small shuttle craft   
his wife had been flying was not there. He contacted Harry   
Kim on the bridge to ask the location of the shuttle. Harry   
had been unaware that the shuttle was missing and   
immediately began a scan but he found no trace. Hails from   
his station received no response from the shuttle either.  
  
Tom was worried now and quickly made his way to the bridge   
of Voyager. Captain Janeway ordered a search and Tom took   
over his seat at the conn to begin the standard search   
pattern. Seven of Nine had assumed the astrometrics station   
on the bridge and was conducting intensive scans of the   
surrounding space. Tom told them that B'Elanna had seen a   
debris field on the way down to the planet. She had taken   
the smaller shuttle to investigate. "I asked her to wait   
for me but she insisted it was just a routine search, a   
green ensign could handle it."   
  
Captain Janeway nodded in understanding; B'Elanna was   
headstrong but a capable pilot, and the best engineer in the   
Delta Quadrant. There would have been no reason to doubt   
that she could complete the mission without incident. But   
she wasn't here and her shuttle did not appear on the   
screen.   
  
Finally Seven was able to identify a warp trail. Tom laid in   
a course for the area of space where Seven had found the   
trail but there was no sign of the shuttle. He had begun   
another search pattern, concentrating on this area, when,   
seemingly out of nowhere, a tiny blip appeared on Seven's   
screen. Harry was able to scan it and, after a few moments,   
affirm that it was the missing shuttle with one life form on   
board, alive but unconscious. Tom steered Voyager close   
enough for a tractor beam to grab the shuttle. Captain   
Janeway ordered B'Elanna transported to sickbay immediately   
while Chakotay touched Tom's shoulder and slid into the   
rapidly vacated pilot's seat. Tom ran to the lift, ordering   
it to take him to sickbay.   
  
***   
Rushing into sickbay Tom found the doctor scanning his wife   
with a medical tricorder, "How is she, Doc? What's wrong?"   
  
The Doctor faced Tom and said "B'Elanna seems fine, Tom,   
and should regain consciousness soon but there is a problem   
with the baby."   
  
"What kind of problem?" Tom asked, his voice laced with   
fear.  
  
"The baby isn't there" The doctor answered.  
  
"Did B'Elanna have a miscarriage?" Tom looked again at his   
wife, a shadow of pain on his face.  
  
"No, not exactly, according to my medical scans, it was   
never there." The Doctor answered.  
  
"How can that be? We saw the pictures of her, she was   
there, B'Elanna was pregnant."  
  
"I know, Lieutenant, I can't explain it. The baby just   
isn't there now." The Doctor was studying his tricorder   
with a concerned look, concern mixed with confusion.   
  
Tom was standing next to B'Elanna now, holding her hand. It   
felt small and fragile and cold. Something else was wrong   
but he couldn't pinpoint it. Something just felt wrong.   
  
Harry had just been relieved at his bridge station, his   
shift over, and concern for B'Elanna propelled him to   
sickbay. He came over to stand next to his closest friends.   
"How is she?" he asked.   
  
"The baby isn't there anymore." Tom reply was soft and   
full of pain.  
  
"I'm sorry, Tom. What happened?" Harry answered, his hand   
now on B'Elanna's shoulder.  
  
"I'm not sure. There doesn't seem to be any trace of the   
baby at all." The doctor answered Harry's question as Tom   
looked down at his wife, his face reflecting both love and   
sorrow. At a word from the doctor, Tom turned to look at   
the scans more closely.   
  
B'Elanna began to stir and opened her eyes. Seeing Harry   
standing next to her, she reached up and took his hand.   
"Tom, she's coming around." Harry called out softly.  
  
Tom moved to stand next to his wife, gently pressing her   
back down on the biobed as she started to sit up. "Take it   
easy, B'Elanna, just rest a minute."   
  
B'Elanna nodded and continued to hold onto Harry's hand. She   
opened her eyes again and smiled at Harry and then at Tom.   
"What happened?" she asked.  
  
"We don't know, we found your shuttle floating in space and   
you were unconscious. What do you remember?" Tom answered.  
  
"I was investigating a debris field, picking up samples,   
and saw a spatial distortion so I went to investigate. I   
felt like I was being pulled in ... I don't remember any more,   
I must have passed out." B'Elanna said this as she was   
sitting up on the biobed. She looked at Harry affectionately   
and said, "I must really have had you worried, you even   
forgot to put on your second pip."   
  
Harry looked at Tom and back to in confusion. "B'Elanna,   
what are you talking about? I'm still Starfleet's oldest   
living ensign. Where would I have gotten another pip?"   
  
"The captain promoted you to lieutenant ten months ago. I   
pinned it on for you. Don't you remember that?" B'Elanna   
questioned Harry with a worried look. "And where is your   
ring?" she asked.   
  
Before Harry could ask her what ring she meant, Captain   
Janeway and Chakotay walked into sickbay. B'Elanna released   
Harry's hand and swung off the biobed backing up against the   
wall. "How did you get here? Where are we? How long was I   
unconscious?" she stared at the startled command team.   
Confusion and fear were evident on her face.  
  
Janeway looked concerned, "B'Elanna, we were just on the   
bridge, what do you mean, how did we get here?" She turned   
to look at the Doctor and Tom. "What's wrong?"   
  
The doctor began to tell the captain that he had been   
running scans and had some unanswered questions while   
Chakotay moved closer to talk to B'Elanna. "What is it,   
B'Elanna? What happened out there? Why are you surprised to   
see us?"   
  
But B'Elanna was backing further away from Chakotay as he   
moved slowly toward her. Tom realized that something was   
terribly wrong. He could sense that B'Elanna was afraid, and   
fear was something he hadn't seen in B'Elanna since the   
Vidiians had captured them six years ago.   
  
"Chakotay, wait." Tom called out. He must have spoken   
louder than he thought because the captain and the doctor   
gave him their undivided attention also. "Could you leave   
us alone, please?" Tom continued, never taking his eyes off   
B'Elanna. "We need to get some things figured out. I'll   
come to the bridge and give you a report as soon as I can   
but right now, would you and the captain just leave?" No   
matter what else happened he wanted to get the fear out of   
B'Elanna's eyes.  
  
"All right, Tom," the captain agreed, "but I will want   
your report within the hour."   
  
"Yes, ma'am." Tom replied. "Thank you." Janeway nodded   
and left looking worried. Chakotay followed her out.  
  
"Tell me what's wrong, B'Elanna." Tom gently asked. "Why   
are you so afraid of the captain and Chakotay?"   
  
"They're gone, we left them on a planet four years ago.   
They are supposed to be thousands of light years from   
here." B'Elanna looked as if she had seen a ghost.   
  
"Don't you remember rescuing them? Doc's friend, Denara   
Pel, helped us with a cure for the virus that they had   
contracted." Tom answered her.   
  
"No, we didn't rescue them. Captain Janeway had given us   
strict orders to keep on our path to the Alpha Quadrant.   
Captain Tuvok wouldn't even consider a rescue and certainly   
not one that involved the Vidiians." B'Elanna seemed very   
sure of her memories.  
  
"B'Elanna, what did you mean about my forgetting my ring?"   
Harry finally asked.  
  
"Your wedding ring. You haven't taken it off since we were   
married..." B'Elanna was looking steadily at Harry as she   
said this and Harry was turning some of the brightest shades   
of red Tom had ever seen.   
  
And then Tom realized what was different, what had been   
bothering him. The ring B'Elanna now wore was a wide gold   
band, much wider than the one he wore. He had thought wider   
rings would be nicer but B'Elanna had insisted on the   
matching narrow gold bands. She had been afraid that a wider   
band would get in the way in Engineering and she didn't want   
to have to take it off and risk losing it.   
  
B'Elanna seemed to sense something was wrong too, and she   
looked from Harry's bare left hand to Tom's where the third   
finger was circled in a narrow gold wedding band. A look of   
horror swept her face as she asked again "Where am I?"   
  
Grasping at straws, Tom asked "What's the star date,   
B'Elanna?"  
  
"54472," she replied in a shaky voice.  
  
"Tell me everything you remember about this morning." He   
questioned her quietly.  
  
"We were on a foraging mission. You and Neelix were filling   
the Delta Flyer with a cargo load of fruits and vegetables.   
I wanted to check out a debris field and see if it had any   
trilithium. We're not exactly low but a little more in the   
reserves wouldn't hurt." Tom nodded and B'Elanna continued.   
"I saw some kind of anomaly and went to investigate.   
Something must have pulled me into the anomaly. I remember   
hearing a high pitched noise and then I must have passed   
out. I woke up here but I don't seem to belong here."   
  
"What else is different?" Tom's manner was calm,   
polished, professional.  
  
"I don't know, Tuvok should be the captain, you're the   
exec, Harry is a lieutenant. The doctor's bedside manner   
doesn't seem to have changed much, I guess. I haven't seen   
much else yet." B'Elanna answered, starting to sound   
fearful again.   
  
"We'll get this figured out, B'Elanna. Somehow we'll make   
sense of it." Harry was trying to be assuring but he was   
confused, and Tom's quiet acceptance of the situation wasn't   
helping. Tom should have been scared or angry or something,   
but he was just calm.   
  
Tom was still in charge of the situation. "B'Elanna, let   
the doctor continue his scans. Look for anything right down   
to quantum signature, whatever you can scan. Harry, let's   
go look at the shuttle and check out the debris, see if   
there are any signs of radiation." Harry moved away from   
B'Elanna who was looking at him anxiously, hoping for some   
sign of recognition from him which wasn't forthcoming. She   
sighed and agreed to the scans, resuming her seat on the   
biobed.   
  
Harry smiled on his way to the door. "Don't worry, Maquis,   
we'll get this figured out."   
  
B'Elanna looked startled. "He hasn't called me that in   
years," she said softly.   
  
Tom followed Harry to the door, turning to look one more   
time before he left. The doctor chose that moment to glance   
up and they shared a look of concern, confusion, and some   
sorrow. Tom just shook his head at the doctor and left.   
  
Harry was waiting for Tom outside sickbay, stopping him as   
he tried to push past. "Tom, stop. Talk to me."  
  
"What do you want me to say?" Tom asked as he tried   
desperately to pull the "Paris mask" out of retirement.   
Harry knew that look. It was the one that Tom put on when he   
went into his defensive mode, his "I don't give a damn!"   
look. Harry hadn't seen it in a couple of years but he   
still recognized it.  
  
"Tell me what you're thinking; what you're going to do."   
Harry hadn't released his hold on Tom's arm. He needed to   
know how his friend was coping with this bizarre situation.  
  
Tom's façade of calm collapsed. The mask was stripped away   
leaving only anguish, pain and fear; an almost paralyzing   
fear. "I'm scared, Harry, I feel like my guts have been   
ripped out. I can't find B'Elanna and nothing has ever   
scared me this much in my whole life." Tom was shaking now   
and making an effort to remain calm and in control.   
  
Harry wanted to say *She's just on the other side of this   
door* but something stopped him. "Tom, who is that, if it   
isn't B'Elanna?"  
  
"I don't know how or why but that isn't B'Elanna. She's   
still out there somewhere." Tom was staring off over   
Harry's shoulder now, his voice eerily quiet. Harry looked   
at Tom and again at the door of sickbay thinking about Tom's   
words, and what he had seen and heard inside. Harry had to   
accept that, no matter how preposterous it seemed, the woman   
in sickbay was someone neither of them knew, and who didn't   
seem to know them.  
  
"We'll get this figured out," he assured Tom. "There   
has to be an answer."   
  
Tom nodded and tried to bring some semblance of order to his   
features. He had to talk to the captain and try to explain   
what had just happened.  
  
***   
On the bridge Tom asked for admittance to the captain's   
ready room.   
  
"Enter", she called and he did, finding the captain and   
Chakotay both wearing worried looks.  
  
"Captain, I'm sorry if I was rude, but B'Elanna was afraid   
and I needed to figure out what was going on. I haven't seen   
her really afraid in years."   
  
Chakotay and Captain Janeway nodded their understanding.   
"What have you found out?" Janeway asked.  
  
Tom hesitated and began to pace a little before he answered.   
"Captain, that isn't B'Elanna. She may look like B'Elanna   
and she may sound like B'Elanna, but she isn't B'Elanna."   
  
"Tom..." Janeway began skeptically.   
  
"Captain, there are physical indications, not just the   
emotional ones that I can feel." Tom was adamant and   
Captain Janeway was listening but she gave Chakotay a   
sideling look, expressing her doubts. Tom didn't even   
notice. He was busy trying to sort out the riot of thoughts   
and emotions that were going through his mind and make sense   
of the facts that he knew.  
  
"The baby is gone," he began.   
  
"Tom, I am so sorry," her sympathy was genuine and   
heartfelt.   
  
"Captain, according to the Doc's scans, there never was a   
baby. That's one of the reasons that I don't think this is   
B'Elanna. Another one is her ring. She's wearing a wide   
gold band, wider than mine. When she left here our rings   
matched. B'Elanna wanted the narrower rings so she would   
never have to take it off, even when she was working. I   
didn't ask her to take this ring off, but I'm pretty sure   
Harry's name is inside it, not mine." There was pain in   
Tom's voice.  
  
Chakotay was the first to recover, "What are you talking   
about, Tom?" he asked incredulously.  
  
"In the world B'Elanna knows Tuvok is Captain, I'm Exec and   
she's married to Lt. Harry Kim. The two of you are still on   
that planet where we left you four years ago." Tom answered   
flatly. "I know it sounds like an hallucination but the   
physical differences are there too."  
  
"Could it be an alien that has assumed B'Elanna's shape?"   
The captain was considering calling an intruder alert.  
  
"The Doc's preliminary scans show no sign of an alien, all   
the medical evidence shows that it is B'Elanna, just a   
little different." Tom was quiet and thoughtful.  
  
"What are you suggesting?" Janeway asked.  
  
"I'd like some time to let the Doc finish his scans. I need   
to ask Seven to scan the area for any type of spatial   
anomalies or temporal distortions. Harry and I will check   
out the debris to see if we can discover anything strange,   
radiation, quantum fluxes, something that might explain some   
of this." Tom had already been thinking of the best method   
of conducting this investigation.  
  
"All right, use whatever resources you need. I will want a   
report as soon as possible and I am going to need to talk to   
B'Elanna myself." Captain Janeway stated firmly.  
  
"Captain, there's one more thing. I'd like Harry to stick   
with me on this. B'Elanna is more comfortable with him right   
now." Tom was looking out into space through the viewport.   
Janeway noticed that his concern was for B'Elanna's   
feelings, not his own.   
  
"Of course, Tom. Keep me posted." She answered him.   
  
Chakotay stopped Tom on his way out the door, "We'll get   
through this, Tom."   
  
Tom nodded his thanks and left.  
  
***   
Harry and Tom were taking the shuttle apart, analyzing every   
piece of debris and closely scrutinizing the sensor logs   
when the Doctor paged Tom. "Mr. Paris, please report to   
sickbay."   
  
"On our way, Doc." Tom answered.  
  
In sickbay, they found B'Elanna no longer afraid but looking   
anxious and pacing like a caged lioness. "Have you found   
anything out?" she asked as soon as they walked in. Her   
eyes were for Harry but the question seemed to be addressed   
to both of them.  
  
"The debris field is definitely unstable but we haven't   
pinned down exactly why. We are starting to work on the   
sensor logs." Tom answered her question and asked one of   
his own. "What have you found?"   
  
The Doctor answered, "Physically, this is the same Lt.   
Torres that I have been patching up for six years." He   
paused and added with a meaningful look "I do excellent   
work, I might add." At what could only be interpreted as a   
glare from Tom the doctor returned to the subject at hand.   
"However, at your suggestion Lt. Paris, I did a quantum   
resonance scan and the quantum signature is different. This   
Lt. Torres comes from a different but probably parallel   
universe."  
  
"Any idea how she got here?" Harry asked, not oblivious to   
the fact that B'Elanna was standing right there as they   
discussed her, but not really sure how to handle the   
situation.   
  
"I suggest we begin with that piece of information and   
check the database for similar incidences, I know someone   
must have encountered this before." Harry nodded his   
agreement with the suggestion and moved to take a seat at   
the doctor's console to begin the research. The doctor   
followed him into the sickbay office leaving Tom and   
B'Elanna alone.  
  
"The Doctor told me about the baby, Tom. I'm sorry."   
B'Elanna began.  
  
Tom smiled a little, "This has to be really difficult for   
you, B'Elanna. I wish I knew what else I could do to   
help."  
  
"It all feels so strange and yet so normal. I feel like   
I've stepped through the 'looking glass' and nothing is   
quite as it should be. I need to do something, or throw   
something, anything to relieve the tension." She was   
sounding more like her own self, confident, angry and   
frustrated. That was the B'Elanna they all knew and loved.   
The thought caused Tom to regain a hint of his optimism.   
  
Tom echoed Chakotay's words as he assured her "We'll get   
through this. Don't worry."  
B'Elanna nodded and looked again at Harry obviously drawing   
her strength from him.   
  
Harry called Tom and B'Elanna into the office to show the   
results of his search. The three of them agreed that it   
looked like B'Elanna's shuttle had slipped through a quantum   
fissure, leaving her universe behind and joining theirs.   
Their research soon revealed that an inverse warp field   
deployed at the moment of re-entering the fissure should   
allow her to return to her universe and seal the fissure.   
Getting the other B'Elanna back to this universe had to be   
taken into consideration also, and that was going to take   
more planning than the three friends could do on their own.   
This was going to take a little larger team, so Tom hailed   
the captain and asked for a senior staff meeting.   
  
***   
B'Elanna no longer seemed afraid of the captain and Chakotay   
as she accompanied Tom and Harry into the briefing room. She   
was anxious to help develop the plan that would take her   
home. Once in the briefing room she noticed that Tuvok still   
wore the rank of lieutenant commander. She was startled,   
however, to see a woman with Borg implants sitting next to   
Tuvok. Harry saw the question on her face first and   
introduced Seven of Nine.   
  
"A Borg?" B'Elanna asked.   
  
"Yes," Seven answered haughtily.  
  
"I take it there is no Seven of Nine in your universe, B..,   
uh, B'Elanna?" the captain asked.   
  
"No, we captured a female Borg three years ago but we were   
unable to stabilize her condition, so we released her in an   
escape pod once we were clear of Borg space," B'Elanna   
answered. "We sent her back to the Borg."  
  
Janeway nodded at B'Elanna's words and broke the   
uncomfortable silence. "Mr. Paris, report?"  
  
Tom nodded and began to tell the captain what the doctor's   
scan had shown, the difference in B'Elanna's quantum   
signature and the theory that B'Elanna had slipped through   
the fissure in the spatial anomaly from a different   
universe. Harry and the doctor offered their opinions of the   
validity of this theory.   
  
"It sounds like a logical theory," the captain assented.   
"Suggestions?" she asked.   
  
B'Elanna had a few. "The deflector beam can be reprogrammed   
to emit a resonance beam with the same quantum signature.   
That will give us an idea of where we are headed. Sending   
the shuttle through with an inverse warp field should seal   
the fissure and put everyone back in the right place. At   
least according to the research that we were able to do in   
sickbay." B'Elanna sounded more optimistic that she really   
felt.  
  
"Communication is the next hurdle we have to jump. In order   
for this to work both ways we are going to have to time this   
perfectly so we are going to have to be able to communicate   
with the other Voyager somehow." Tom added.  
  
"All right, Harry, make that your priority. And Seven, find   
us the right fissure." Seven and Harry nodded. "Tom,"   
Janeway continued, "go over that shuttle with a fine tooth   
comb, we don't want anything not in perfect alignment   
there." Tom nodded as the captain added "Dismissed."   
  
As all of the officers rose to leave the captain spoke   
again, "B'Elanna, I would like to talk to you for a few   
minutes. Could you stay please?"   
  
After a hesitant look, first at Harry, then at Tom, B'Elanna   
nodded and resumed her seat. Both men smiled their   
reassurance at her as they left, Tom heading for the shuttle   
bay and Harry for his operations station on the bridge to   
figure out how to hail a ship that existed in a parallel   
universe.   
  
The Captain and B'Elanna discussed the path Voyager had   
taken in the last few years in B'Elanna's universe. The two   
ships seemed to have been similar in their encounters and at   
the same point in their journeys. When questioned about the   
status of the remaining crew members, B'Elanna became more   
reticent. Losing Janeway and Chakotay had been hard on all   
of them. Tuvok seemed to be wearing the role of Captain   
well, B'Elanna confessed but added with a smile, "his sense   
of humor hasn't improved any." Tom and Harry had cut back   
on their ritual torture though. Tom had really settled down   
and was filling his role as exec very well. And Harry, well,   
she and Harry were just getting used to the idea of being   
married and exploring their hopes for the future.   
B'Elanna's voice trailed off as she spoke of Harry, her   
Harry. This one seemed like a stranger.   
  
After an hour or so Captain Janeway asked Chakotay to return   
to the briefing room. He could tell that B'Elanna had been   
crying, but was making every effort to hide her tears. The   
captain patted her hand reassuringly as she rose to greet   
Chakotay. "Why don't you and B'Elanna head for Engineering   
and start the work on the deflector array. Let's have   
everything in place so that when Harry gets communications   
figured out we will be ready to go." Chakotay moved aside   
so that B'Elanna could precede him. B'Elanna turned as she   
reached the door, "Thank you, Captain. It's been great   
talking to you again even if it has been a little strange."   
Captain Janeway just smiled.  
  
***   
As they made their way to engineering, B'Elanna began   
questioning Chakotay. "Okay, Chakotay, since we are talking   
parallel universe or something, would it be breaking any   
type of prime directive to ask you a few questions?"  
  
"I don't see where it would hurt to answer a few questions,   
depending on what they are," he answered.   
  
"Well, let's start with how did you and the Captain get off   
of that planet?"   
  
"It seems the crew persuaded Tuvok to disobey a direct   
order and risk the welfare of everyone on Voyager to get the   
cure for our disease from Denara Pel and come back for us."   
Chakotay answered matter of factly.  
  
"You don't sound all that thrilled, were you   
disappointed?" B'Elanna asked  
  
"It was dangerous, and put Voyager at risk but they were   
determined to get us back on board. It showed a lot of   
loyalty." Chakotay's voice lacked something and B'Elanna   
realized after a moment that it was enthusiasm. He didn't   
seem to view the rescue as anything to get excited about.  
  
"You didn't answer my question. Were you disappointed?"   
she asked again.  
  
"You know, B'Elanna, one of the privileges of rank is that   
you don't have to answer all the questions that are asked of   
you," Chakotay answered evenly.  
  
B'Elanna moved on to another subject. "Do you mind if I ask   
another question?" At Chakotay's nod she asked, "How did I   
wind up married to Tom? It just doesn't seem to fit."   
  
This really did make Chakotay laugh. "Don't ask me, you two   
worked that out. I certainly didn't have anything to do with   
it." He immediately regretted his laughter when he saw the   
hurt on B'Elanna's face.   
  
"I'm sorry, B'Elanna." He paused for a few seconds before   
breaking the awkward silence, "Tell me about you and   
Harry."  
  
B'Elanna smiled and said "I guess we were always friends,   
buddies really. It just took a near death experience before   
I realized that we were more than that."   
  
"What kind of near-death experience?" Chakotay asked.  
  
"The Klingon Day of Honor," she groaned. "It was awful,   
nothing went right from the very beginning and I ended up   
having screwed things up so badly that we ejected the warp   
core. Tom and I took a shuttle to retrieve it and found   
ourselves in a battle with a salvage crew. They destroyed   
our shuttle and we were floating in space in environmental   
suits with almost no air left. Tom was trying to keep my   
spirits up but I told him that I knew I was dying with no   
honor and he could just can his optimism. I did admit to   
having one regret though, never having told Harry that I   
loved him. Tom is a good friend. He made me promise to   
tell Harry the minute that we got back to Voyager. He   
didn't want us to make the same mistake that he had made by   
waiting so long to tell Kes how he felt. They had so little   
time together. She had left us a few weeks before and Tom   
was still missing her terribly. I think he still does, even   
now," B'Elanna finished her story quietly.   
  
***   
They had reached Engineering and B'Elanna felt at home   
enough to start barking orders to the crew, who all looked   
very familiar and right in place. At Chakotay's nod they   
began to carry out the modifications that were needed on the   
deflector array.   
  
After several hours Chakotay came back to check on the   
progress. B'Elanna was pleased with what her crew had   
accomplished but she still had her doubts. "Chakotay, in   
order for this to work the other shuttle has to come back   
through at the same time as mine. I know Harry is working   
on communications but they have to be looking for us too.   
What if they aren't? What if they don't know anything is   
wrong?" B'Elanna added anxiously.   
  
Chakotay reassured her "B'Elanna, they know that something   
is wrong, just like we do, and they have the best engineer   
in the Delta Quadrant working on the problem, just like we   
do. As long as we keep doing exactly what you would do in a   
situation like this we'll be fine."   
  
B'Elanna actually laughed at the absurdity of it. She still   
had an enigmatic smile on her face when Harry and Tom   
entered Engineering a minute or so later. They were both   
relieved to see her a little more relaxed and she was   
relieved just to see them. It had been nearly eight hours   
since any of them had eaten so Chakotay insisted that Tom   
and Harry take B'Elanna to the mess hall for a late supper.   
  
They were just finishing the leftovers of one of Neelix's   
more interesting concoctions when Harry received a call from   
Seven of Nine, "Ensign Kim, I require your assistance,   
please report to the Astrometrics lab."   
  
Kim answered immediately "On my way."   
  
B'Elanna looked surprised at his response while Tom   
snickered. "Okay, so she has a little problem with chain of   
command," Harry spit out while Tom continued to smile and   
shake his head.   
  
"A little problem?" Tom scoffed.   
  
Harry just shook his head, wishing them good-night as he   
moved toward the door, making a great effort not to appear   
to be in a hurry.   
  
As Harry strode out Tom turned to B'Elanna. "The Doc has   
fixed up a place for you to sleep in sickbay. He, we...   
thought you might be more comfortable there than anywhere   
else."   
  
"That's fine, thank you," B'Elanna answered not meeting   
his eyes.  
  
Tom grabbed their trays to put them in the recycler and   
walked with B'Elanna to sickbay. They didn't seem to have   
much to say, each lost in their own thoughts. When they   
arrived at their destination, they smiled to see a privacy   
field erected around one of the beds and a surgical gown   
laid out for B'Elanna to sleep in with a toothbrush sitting   
on top of it. The doctor had thought of everything.   
  
"I'll see you in the morning, B'Elanna. Harry and I will   
pick you up for breakfast, okay?" Tom offered.  
  
B'Elanna looked a little lost but she nodded to Tom and said   
"Yeah, see you in the morning."   
  
Tom paused to look at her again and went over to put his   
arms around her in the kind of reassuring hug that one   
friend offers to another. B'Elanna responded by circling him   
with her arms. No matter what came of their plans the next   
day she knew she was among friends here. "Thanks, Tom,"   
she said as she pushed away from him, "now go get some rest   
yourself."   
  
***   
Later, after working with Seven of Nine for an hour or so,   
it seemed like more, Harry was on his way to his quarters   
when instinct told him to ask the computer to locate Lt.   
Paris. "Lt. Paris is in the messhall," the computer   
replied. Harry nodded and changed his destination to find   
Tom.   
  
He found his friend sitting at his usual table staring out   
into space. Harry joined Tom and they sat together for a   
minute or two before Harry finally broke the silence, "You   
look like hell, Tom. You need to get some sleep."  
  
Tom offered half of a smile that went no further than his   
mouth. His eyes were bright with unshed tears. "You know,   
Har, when I woke up this morning I looked at B'Elanna   
sleeping next to me, and thought, I am married to the most   
beautiful woman in the universe and we are having a baby. I   
felt like the luckiest guy in the whole world. I was even   
looking forward to the shuttle mission, getting off the ship   
for a while and just flying. And then, when I got back, I   
had lost it all. My whole world came crashing down."   
  
Harry searched for the words to comfort his friend. "We've   
got a good plan, Tom. This is going to work. We'll get   
B'Elanna back."   
  
Tom gave a bitter laugh. "Do you know how many variables   
there are in that plan, Harry? The risks involved in trying   
to pull two shuttles through the same rift in space at the   
same time?"   
  
"We can do this, Tom; just think of all of the other   
scrapes we have managed to get through. We can do this   
too." Harry sounded a lot like a green ensign Tom once knew   
who wanted to believe everything he heard. But Tom wasn't   
about to be comforted. He leaned forward with his elbows on   
the table and put his head in his hands.   
  
"Come on, Tom. You need sleep."   
  
"No, I'll just stay here for a while, I'm fine."  
  
"You're not fine," Harry said as he stood and hauled his   
friend to his feet. "Come on, my couch is your couch. I've   
got a lumpy pillow that's been missing you terribly, I'll   
even turn down the environmental controls for you."  
  
Tom looked at his friend and nodded. "Thanks, Harry."   
That was all, just "thanks" but Harry knew what Tom meant.   
Harry put his hand on Tom's shoulder as they left the mess   
hall together.  
  
***   
Together, Tom and Harry invaded sickbay at 0600, after a   
very brief night. They found B'Elanna fully dressed and   
pulling on her second boot, ready to begin the day that she   
hoped would take her back to her own world.   
  
They ate a hurried breakfast in the messhall and took the   
lift to their stations on the bridge, an hour early for   
their shifts. However, they found when they arrived that the   
rest of the senior officers had started their shifts a   
little earlier yet. The Captain and Chakotay had already   
taken their seats and Tuvok was at the Tactical station.   
Even Seven had arrived early enough to begin scanning the   
area where the original rift had been detected.   
  
Harry took Ops, Tom went to the conn, and B'Elanna sat down   
at the bridge Engineering station to monitor the deflector   
readings. Harry began broadcasting their signal on a wide   
band frequency and they all began the anxious wait for a   
response. After more than an hour of broadcast they heard a   
familiar voice coming through the static, Tuvok's. Everyone   
on the bridge involuntarily turned to look at the Vulcan who   
remained stoic, not a trace of expression on his face.   
  
Janeway rose from her seat and instructed Harry, "Route the   
signal to my ready room, Ensign."   
  
Harry looked a little startled but he answered "Yes,   
Ma'am," and began the process of rerouting the signal.  
  
In her ready room Captain Janeway cleared up the signal   
enough to see the face of her old friend who looked a little   
discomfited. "Captain, I am... pleased to see you." Tuvok   
began.  
  
"And I, you, Captain Tuvok," Janeway replied with an   
enigmatic smile. "I hope you're looking for me to tell me   
you have my chief engineer."   
  
"Yes, Lt. Torres is here."  
  
"Is she all right, Tuvok, and is the baby all right?" Her   
concern for her crew member put a catch in her voice.  
  
"Yes, Captain. Lt. Torres and her baby are fine, although   
her husband was a little disconcerted to discover that it   
wasn't his child."   
  
That thought had not occurred to Janeway and in spite of   
herself she had to smile. "I'm sure he was." She tried   
to sound light but there was certainly relief in her voice.   
"I assume we both have the same plan to exchange   
officers."   
  
"We have identified the fissure, and Lt. Torres believes   
that sending the shuttles through at precisely the same time   
with an inverse warp field should return both officers to   
their appropriate timelines and seal the fissure that   
allowed them to be exchanged." Tuvok quickly highlighted   
the plan that B'Elanna had formulated.  
  
"Yes, that's the plan that B'Elanna has developed here   
too." Janeway affirmed but she noticed a reticence in her   
old friend as if he were pondering a dilemma. "What is it,   
Tuvok? You seem uncomfortable. Are you afraid that the plan   
won't work?"   
  
"It is disconcerting to talk to you after all these years.   
Lt. Torres told me of your rescue and cure. I am pleased."   
He didn't sound all that pleased, just neutral.  
  
Janeway leaned closer to the view screen. "Tuvok, please   
don't feel any regret for your actions. You had to leave us   
on that planet."  
  
"Captain, I have reason to question that decision when I   
see you at the helm of Voyager in an alternate universe   
where obviously my counterpart had the courage to rescue   
you." Kathryn noted the remorse even in his carefully   
modulated Vulcan voice.   
  
"My friend, you did the right thing. Your captain and   
first officer are safe and... happy in their new world. I   
promise you." Janeway was embarrassed to admit it even to   
her old friend but she knew in her heart that 'New Earth'   
had been a place where she and Chakotay would be content to   
grow old together, and have no regrets.   
  
Janeway cleared her throat and became all business again.   
"I suggest we synchronize our efforts and make this   
exchange before my pilot and your operations officer stage   
an all out rebellion."  
  
"I agree. Can you be ready by 0900 hours?"   
  
"Yes, we are almost ready now."   
  
***   
Kathryn Janeway returned to the bridge and this time all   
eyes were on her, but her eyes were only for Tom. "She's   
fine, Tom, and so is the baby."   
  
Tom closed his eyes and softly voiced his relief, "Thank   
God."   
  
Harry let out a resounding "Yes! All right!" B'Elanna was   
a little insulted at Harry's excitement but she smiled at   
her own sense of relief.   
  
The captain redirected her look to B'Elanna and asked "Are   
you ready? We've scheduled the swap for 0900."   
  
"I'm ready, Captain" B'Elanna replied but she was   
surprised at how nervous she was. She actually had to   
discretely wipe her hands on her uniform because her palms   
were sweating. Great, she thought, this close and I'm going   
to lose my Klingon courage and start to blubber again like a   
human. The pep talk seemed to help and B'Elanna was able to   
move away from her station and look around at the faces on   
the bridge.   
  
"Tom," she began, "I hope you get your B'Elanna back, and   
your baby. Thank you for everything." She held out her   
hand but Tom engulfed her in a hug instead.   
  
"Good Luck," he whispered.  
  
Moving away from Tom, B'Elanna turned to the Captain, "It   
was wonderful seeing you again, Captain. I hope your   
journey takes you home." The Captain too embraced B'Elanna.  
  
Chakotay followed B'Elanna towards the upper section of the   
bridge as she said her good-byes to Tuvok. That wasn't   
quite as emotional, she was planning on seeing him again   
fairly quickly. Seven warranted a brief nod. That woman is   
strange, was B'Elanna's thought as she moved towards Harry.   
"Take care of yourself, Starfleet," she said and then   
added, in a stage whisper, "and work on getting that second   
pip, it would look good on your collar."   
  
Harry, of course, turned red as he too embraced B'Elanna,   
adding only "You too, Maquis, take care of yourself. And   
tell your lieutenant he's a lucky guy." Harry grinned at   
her.   
  
Tears were very close to the surface again as B'Elanna   
turned and entered the lift with Chakotay. She nodded to   
all of them, pretending to be all business again but she   
didn't have any of them fooled.   
  
Chakotay accompanied B'Elanna to the shuttle bay where Tom   
had her small shuttle in perfect condition for a flight into   
what was, hopefully, her own universe. The doctor was there   
and gave her an injection to help her stay oriented during   
the flight. He wished her luck too and headed back to   
sickbay. Now, alone with Chakotay, B'Elanna did feel a   
certain amount of sadness. She had missed her commander,   
her mentor, her friend, these last four years. Saying good-  
bye the first time had been hard, this seemed even a little   
harder. Her Chakotay was stranded on a planet, alone with   
the captain, while this one was still an active, valued   
member of the crew.   
  
"B'Elanna," Chakotay was reading her thoughts, he'd always   
been able to do that, "they are safe and happy on their   
planet, trust me. There was no wrong decision there, both   
decisions were right, just different."  
  
She trusted him but she missed him too. Chakotay embraced   
her warmly and wished her a safe journey. He watched her   
enter the shuttle, close the door and exit the shuttle bay   
before returning to his chair on the bridge.  
  
"All set?" the captain asked.  
  
"All set" he replied giving her a sideling glance as he   
thought, yes, Kathryn, we would have been happy there. Her   
answering smile made him wonder if she really could read his   
thoughts like she periodically teased.  
  
Harry opened a link to the shuttlecraft so that the captain   
could give another small measure of encouragement to   
B'Elanna as she moved towards the now familiar anomaly.   
  
Every eye was on the shuttlecraft as it neared the target   
area and at precisely 0900 it disappeared into the rift. It   
seemed like an eternity before they saw a shuttle emerge   
from the rift and head erratically towards the ship. Harry   
called out in barely controlled excitement, "One   
shuttlecraft, B'Elanna's on board, unconscious."  
  
Tom's insides lurched at the déjà vu he was feeling.   
Janeway ordered Harry to tractor the shuttle on board and   
transport B'Elanna directly to sickbay. Chakotay touched   
Tom on the shoulder and took the seat Tom vacated as he ran   
towards the turbolift.   
  
***  
When he reached sickbay the doctor was scanning B'Elanna   
just like the last time and Tom was afraid to allow himself   
any hope as he again moved to stand next to the bed where   
she lay, unconscious. But this time the doctor wore a wide   
grin as he turned to Tom and said, "Well, the plan seems to   
have worked. B'Elanna has the same quantum signature that   
she had when she left here yesterday and she is still nine   
weeks pregnant with a healthy baby girl. Congratulations,   
Lieutenant, you have your wife back. I'll go warn Deck 9,   
section 12 so they can be prepared for the reunion."   
  
The doctor regretted his levity when he saw the drawn look   
on the young lieutenant's face. Worry, fear, relief and   
lack of sleep had wreaked their havoc on his features.   
"Tom," he assured him, "she's okay and she should regain   
consciousness soon. Try to wake her."   
  
Tom nodded but his eyes never left B'Elanna's face as he   
held her hand and stroked the ring that matched his own so   
perfectly, knowing that his name was the one engraved on the   
inside. "B'Elanna" he called softly. And again,   
"B'Elanna, open your eyes, look at me."  
  
He was rewarded shortly with a flutter of her eyelids as she   
opened them, then closed them quickly to escape the blinding   
light. She tested them again and saw Tom hovering over her.   
With a cry of joy she raised her arms to embrace him, an   
embrace which he fiercely returned. B'Elanna pushed away   
from him to ask anxiously "The baby?"   
  
"She's fine, she's fine and so are you." Tom answered as   
he gently cupped her face and kissed her before returning   
her to his embrace.  
  
Captain Janeway had been watching quietly from the door of   
sickbay. As soon as she was assured of the safety of her   
chief Engineer and the peace of mind of her chief pilot she   
turned to go, touching her Executive Officer on the arm.   
Chakotay understood her signal immediately and followed her   
out of sickbay.  
  
***   
As they left sickbay Captain Janeway and Chakotay met Harry,   
lurking in the corridor. The Captain assured him that this   
was the right B'Elanna and she and the baby were both fine.   
Harry breathed out a sigh of relief and sagged against the   
wall.  
  
"Not even a little disappointed, ensign?" the captain   
asked with a smile.  
  
"No, Ma'am!" Harry sounded certain of his feelings. "I   
love B'Elanna but not the way Tom does."   
  
The Captain nodded in understanding while Chakotay stopped   
and glanced back at the door to Sickbay pondering what Harry   
had said. Janeway interrupted his reverie with an   
invitation. "Let's play hooky from the bridge a little   
while longer, I think Captain Tuvok can handle it, don't   
you?" She looked to the two men for affirmation before she   
added, "I'd like to buy the world's oldest living ensign   
and my executive officer a cup of coffee."   
  
Harry blushed bright red at the captain's words but she just   
laughed and grabbed his arm with one hand while taking   
Chakotay's arm with her other hand. Walking arm in arm they   
headed for the mess hall to try whatever Neelix was offering   
for coffee today.   
  
  
THE END  
  
  
I loved it too! Couldn't believe I thought of it!  
Tuvok  
2  
  
21  
  



End file.
